Canal Current. Environmental News. Native Plant profile. July is National Parks and Recreation Month

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1 Canal Current A wave of information for Cape Coral s Canalwatch volunteers Newsletter: 2 nd Quarter 2010 Environmental News July is National Parks and Recreation Month In recognition of the National Parks and Recreation Month for July 2010 Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department are hosting many special events and deals, all month long. For special deals such as the free Florida Yards and Neighborhoods introductory class (16 th ) or free boat trailer parking at all Cape Coral public boat ramps (24 th ), please visit the Parks and Recreational web-site at capeparks.com. It starts in parks Also, be sure to attend the summer native plant sale at Rotary Park on July 24 th from 9 am to 1 pm. For more information contact Rotary Park at Native Plant profile Myrsine Rapanea punctata The myrsine is a versatile shrub that adapts well to varying soil types and levels of moisture. This evergreen reaches 15 to 20 feet in height and can be incorporated in a screening hedge along property lines or outside of pool cages. One of the additional benefits of this native species is that it is fast growing, and once established requires little attention. The berries, that fruit usually during winter but sometimes as late as spring, attract birds, both residents and migratory. The myrsine is found in many different environments throughout the Florida landscape, and would be a wonderful addition to the home landscape as well. Inside This Issue: Native Plants 1 Oil Spill Info 2 Extra Field Data 3 Lab Data 4-5 Upcoming Events 6 Questions? Comments? Let us know! (239) Harry: hphillips@capecoral.net Kim: kcressman@capecoral.net 1

2 Oil Spill Information and Resources The big water news of the last 78 days has been, of course, the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. The Cape Coral Fire Department is the City s lead agency, and they are working with the County s Emergency Operations Center as well as state agencies and the US Coast Guard. We here in Environmental Resources are keeping a close eye on things as well. Officials are predicting that, due to the patterns of surface currents in the Gulf, there s only a 10% chance of oil washing up on our shores. If it does reach us, it will be most likely be in the form of tar balls. The FL Dept. of Environmental Protection has been working with Lee County Environmental Laboratory to obtain pre-impact water samples from our area. If oil does reach us, we will be able to compare the resulting conditions to this baseline data. Mote Marine Lab has also been sending robotic vehicles that can detect oil (crude, weathered, and oil + dispersants) into the Gulf and as of now, none has been detected offshore of SW FL. 1 If you find oil and believe it is related to this oil spill, report it by calling (877) Report oiled wildlife to (866) Oil is a hazardous material and should not be touched without proper training. City officials are working on bringing a 4-hour volunteer training course to residents so you will be able to assist with cleaning up tar balls if the need arises. If you are interested in volunteering, you can sign up at or call (866) More information can be found at the following websites: FL DEP Deepwater Horizon Response: BP s Oil Spill Response: NOAA s response page and forecast maps: Totals of oil collected: Totals of wildlife collected dead/alive; visibly oiled/no visible oil; # released: Interactive maps:

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4 Canalwatch Lab Data, 2nd quarter 2010 bd = below detection benchmark numbers: Marked data are in the highest 20% of values found by Hand et. al, April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 NO2 NO3 NH3 TKN T-N T-PO4 NO2 NO3 NH3 TKN T-N T-PO4 NO2 NO3 NH3 TKN T-N T-PO4 Avg <1.0 <1.0 none set <2.0 <0.46 <1.0 <1.0 none set <2.0 <0.46 <1.0 <1.0 none set <2.0 <0.46 TSI 3F bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd G bd bd bd bd bd bd bd E bd bd bd bd bd bd F bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd G bd bd bd H bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd 0.08 bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd E bd bd bd bd 0.05 bd bd bd bd E bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd F bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd G bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd F bd bd bd C bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd C bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd F bd bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd 0.11 bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd

5 51A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd E bd bd bd bd bd bd bd F bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd G bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd H bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd I bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd C bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd 0.48 bd bd bd 0.25 bd C bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd E bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd C bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd D bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd 0.07 bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd C bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd 0.11 bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd A bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd B bd bd bd bd bd bd bd bd Median Max NO2 = Nitrite (inorganic) NO3 = Nitrate (inorganic) NH3 = Ammonia (inorganic) All nutrient concentrations shown in mg/l TKN = Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (organic + NH4) TN = Total Nitrogen (inorganic + organic) TPO4 = Total Phosphate High levels of nutrients in our canals can indicate the presence of fertilizer runoff or effluent from wastewater or septic systems. Excessive nutrients can lead to nuisance plant growth and algal blooms. 5 TSI = Trophic State Index, a quick indicator of canal health. 52 sites this quarter scored as GOOD (<60). 8 sites scored FAIR (60-70), and two were POOR (>70). The high TSI scores this quarter were due to poor water clarity, particularly in June. For example, secchi depth at site 7B in June was only 2 inches.

6 July 7 th Canalwatch 16 th Florida Yards Neighborhoods introductory course 6:00 to 9:00 Rotary Park Info: th plant sale at Rotary Park Cape Coral info: fnpscoccoloba.org August 4 th Canalwatch September 1 st Canalwatch 6 th Labor Day 17 th The Mangrove Eco-Café 7:30-10:00pm Info: th National Estuaries Day City of Cape Coral Environmental Resources P.O. BOX Cape Coral, FL